The two will be honored for their outstanding leadership in newsroom diversity at the Associated Press Managing Editors association (APME) convention Oct. 15-18 in Phoenix.

The awards are given by the American Society of Newspaper Editors, APME and the Freedom Forum, which provides the funding. Each honoree receives $2,500 and a sculpture representing leadership.

"It's heartening to see the results -- at newspapers large and small -- when key editors count diversity among their criteria for excellence," said Freedom Forum CEO and Chairman Charles Overby in praising both winners.

"I'm delighted that this year's recipients so clearly reflect the spirit of Bob McGruder -- a first-class journalist who knew that diversity is not only the right thing to do, it's key to 'getting the story,'" said Ed Jones, APME president and editor of The Free Lance-Star in Fredericksburg, Va. "Doing better journalism is what Bob was all about."

The awards, which recognize leadership in content and in recruiting, developing and retaining journalists of color, are named for a former executive editor of the Detroit Free Press and diversity champion. He died of cancer in April 2002.

Hall, who won in the over-50,000 circulation category, has served as chair of ASNE's Diversity Committee. "While she thought broadly on diversity and became a leader in industry-wide activities, she acted locally, causing diversity to become one of Newsday's highest priorities," Anthony Marro, recently retired Newsday editor, wrote in nominating Hall. "She not only made the journalistic case for diversity in content and staffing, but also founded and steered a paper-wide project that made the business case as well."

Her leadership has extended to staffing, another important contribution, Marro noted. "Under her leadership, starting with her appointment as managing editor in 1997, Newsday's newsroom staff became the most diverse among the 10 largest newspapers in the country," he wrote. "The percentage of people of color in the newsroom grew from 14.2 percent in 1996 to 25.8 percent in 2003."

In the under-50,000 circulation category, the Greeley Tribune was recognized as "a small newspaper that takes diversity seriously," said Bhatia, executive editor of The Oregonian in Portland.

Judges noted that the Tribune, led by Editor Chris Cobler, takes advantage of newspaper-industry diversity initiatives. As part of its Time Out for Diversity participation, Tribune reporters were asked to "go out and experience something that would take us out of our comfort zone." A Page One story by Cobler led the resulting coverage.

The newspaper was nominated by Roxye Arellano, a Tribune reporter and graduate of the Freedom Forum's Diversity Institute, which provides training for people making a career change to journalism. "I am just one example of the Greeley Tribune's commitment to diversity," she wrote.

"We want to be the best community newspaper in the country," Arellano wrote. "Tribune Publisher Jim Elsberry and our editor have shown us how diversity is a critical part of excellence."

The judges were: Terry Scott-Bertling, assistant managing editor/features, San Antonio (Texas) Express-News; Bhatia; Catalina Camia, regional editor, Gannett News Service, Washington, D.C.; Don Flores, executive vice president and editor, El Paso (Texas) Times; Kate Kennedy, director/partnerships and initiatives, Freedom Forum; Glenn Proctor, associate editor, The Star-Ledger, Newark, N.J.; Jim Strauss, publisher, Great Falls (Mont.) Tribune; and David Yarnold, editor, San Jose Mercury News.

Flores and Strauss were 2002 winners of the award. Scott-Bertling and Proctor represented APME on the judging panel. Bhatia and Yarnold represented ASNE; Camia, Unity: Journalists of Color; and Kennedy, the Freedom Forum.